Food and Drink

Favourite Restaurants

It is very hard to find a good restaurant in Umbria...

they are either excellent or superb! Italians eat out a lot and a mediocre restaurant gets the thumbs down from the locals, and word gets round very quickly. Remember, this is the home of the grapevine!

However, these are some of the restaurants we have particularly liked in our travels around Umbria, not in any particular order, and some have been recommended to us by clients or friends. There is a wide selection, from cheap and cheerful to the very best in cuisine. If you have a favourite restaurant to share please send us the details. Below is a list of the ones we especially recommend.

There are various stages you go through when visiting restaurants here. First, you look down through the menu and choose something you know, like...spaghetti. Then, when you know what all the dishes mean you choose something you like. Next you ask the waiter to explain what is in the dish. Finally you ask him to change it! I love the Penne alla Norcina in our local restaurant, Rosatelli, made with penne pasta, sausage and cream, but it goes to a new level when you ask for a little bit of black truffle to be grated over it!

Trattoria

Rosticceria

Pizzeria

A restaurant that specialises in pizza (plural is pizze), usually available evenings only (eg. La Grotta del Gallo, Marsciano) but sometimes at lunchtime too. Go for one with a wood-burning oven as the flavour and texture is so much better.

Country House

This adoption of the English term by Italy means a large house comprising self-catering apartments. There is often a restaurant within the building. (eg. Antico Roseta)

Agriturismo

An agriturismo is a farm with holiday accommodation, often with a restaurant on site which is open to the public.

AlbergoAn albergo, or hotel, will often have a restaurant open to the public as well as its guests.

This is, without any shadow of doubt, the best restaurant we have found. The food, wine, service and ambiance are second to none. Obviously it is not cheap but we felt it was excellent value for money. The locanda has a swimming pool and several apartments so you can actually stay there too. Ultimately there will be 26 apartments. Prices are very reasonable. They tell us they are creating a wine bar and a (separate) cigar room with a choice of 1,500 cigars too!

Address: Via delle Chiesa 2 - 06058 Saragano, Gualdo Cattaneo

Directions: When you get to Saragano the restaurant is at the far end of the village with parking nearby.

Please forgive the name of this town! Bastardo is close to Gualdo Cattaneo. This restaurant was recommended to us by one of our website visitors, Jim Frank. It gets rave reviews on Tripadvisor so we thought we'd publish it here and pay a visit soon.

What a gem this restaurant is! We were taken there by an agent for lunch and we go back again every time we visit Gualdo Tadino! The food is superb, service brilliant, excellent wine, prices reasonable and the restaurant itself is very pleasant.

Address: Gualdo Tadino

Directions: The restaurant is on the main street leading up into the historic centre (centro storico).

It was 2:30 on a cold, wet and windy day. I staggered into Castiglione del Lago with clients looking for somewhere to eat. In a shop doorway a lady offered us samples of salami and parmisan cheese, but not enough to satisfy five hungry adults. I asked if there was a restaurant open for lunch. She shook her head saying that at this time of the year and this hour in the afternoon there was nothing open. Then she said 'follow me' and took us across the square to the most delightful restaurant! Brilliant gnocchi with prawns. Yet another gem to present to you. The owner speaks good English.

Address: Piazza Mazzini, Castiglione del Lago

Directions: In the corner of the square in the middle of the main road through the historic centre.

We went to a concert in the beautiful theatre in Monte Castello di Vibio and most of the theatre-goers went on to this restaurant afterwards, us included. We had never heard of it before as it's quite new, and were absolutely delighted. The setting is quite bright and modern but the food and service is excellent. We paid just over 20 euros per head for two courses, wine and coffee.

Address: Via Cesare e Luigi Agretti 41, Monte Castello di Vibio.

Directions: as you go up the hill from Madonna del Piano turn right into via Enrico Ippolisti, cross over a simple crossroads, and the restaurant is on the right after about 300m.

What a find! This restaurant is so popular that it is full up every night and you need to book a week in advance. Fabulous but simple food, great atmosphere and a price of 16 euros a head. Oh, and the owner is a hoot!

Address: Via di Mezzo, Torre del Colle 06031, near Bevagna

Directions: Enter the borgo through the gate by the bar and the restaurant is just on the left.

Tel: 0742 362074

Closing day: Monday

Please mention that you found them on our website

Piazza Onofri, Bevagna

This restaurant was recommended by guests of ours. The same owners have a locanda (small hotel) and an enoteca (wine shop) selling not just wine but olive oil, truffles, pasta and cereals. We tried it and were very impressed.

Just occasionally we find a gem of a restaurant down a little side street. You can tell they're good by the fact they are full of local Italians! This one in Assisi was discovered by Brother Tom, the Franciscan priest who takes the Anglican church services in Assisi.

Address: Via Macelli Vecci 1, 06081 Assisi

Directions: Go down from the Piazza del Comune in the centre of Assisi into Via Portica. Turn immediately left and via Macelli Vecchi is on the left.

Tel: 075 813 467

Closing day: Unknown

Please mention that you found them on our website

Trattoria da Erminio, Assisi

A super little restaurant in the upper part of Assisi with very reasonable prices. Specialises in cooking on the open fire. Great pasta dishes.

Address : via Montecavallo 19, Assisi

Tel . 075 812506

Directions : From the car park in Piazza Matteotti at the top of Assisi go down the road to the right of the carabinieri offices. Take second left, first right and the restaurant is on the left after about 200m.

This lovely restaurant is within Hotel Vannucci in Città della Pieve, in the west of Umbria. We had a our church lunch there recently and thoroughly enjoyed it. The waiter speaks very good English and certainly knows his wines.

A beautiful restaurant in an exquisite four-star hotel. The 200-year-old villa provides a faultless setting. The service was superb and the food sublime. Plus an excellent choice of wines from the knowledgeable English-speaking waiter. The perfect setting for weddings and banquets.

Address: Viale della Vittoria 20, 06036 Montefalco (PG)

Directions: Approaching from the Gualdo Cattaneo direction there is an avenue of tree just before the town. Almost at the end of the trees there is a turning to the left with a sign for Villa Pambuffetti.

We have just discovered this newly opened ristorante and were very pleasantly surprised. It is also a country house and has seven apartments and a swimming pool. The restaurant itself is gorgeous with brick vaulted ceilings, exquisite table settings and the owner usually brings out his guitar and has a sing-along with the guests in the evenings. The service and food was superb, even though it was a quiet midweek lunchtime in April, and the prices are not too expensive.

Address: Loc. Belvedere, San Biagio della Valle 06070 (PG)

Tel: 075 878 7386

Directions: On the left as you leave Castiglione della Valle towards Marsciano.

We are very lucky to have such a good restaurant so close to home! The food is great, the service excellent, the ambience lovely and the prices very reasonable. Friday nights has live music by a keyboard player.

One of our real favourites to which we go quite often. Really good simple food at very reasonable prices, although prices have crept up quite a bit recently. Family run and very friendly. They tell us that the menu hasn't changed in forty years. Well, if it ain't broke - don't fix it!

Address: via V. Veneto 42, Marsciano 06055

Directions: Heading into Marsciano from the north go over the river Nestore, and the restaurant is on the left of the next roundabout.

Tel: 075 874 2026

Closing day: Saturdays, would you believe!

Please mention that you found them on our website

Il Recanto, Papiano

A very nice restaurant with great pizze (that's the plural of pizza!). They provide accommodation and there is a swimming pool for guests.

This unusual and very popular restaurant has a fixed menu with fixed price, written in Perugia dialect, which changes for each day of the week and then the weekly menu changes every season. Dead cheap, great atmosphere and excellent food, more than you can eat!

Directions: From the Etruscan arch go directly opposite and the restaurant is on the left.

Details to follow

Please mention that you found them on our website

Al Chiaro di Luna, San Martino in Colle

Excellent food and pizze at very reasonable prices. Very popular so you may need to book on Friday or Saturday nights in the height of the season.

Address: Via Orvieto 8 L 8 M, San Martino in Colle.

Tel: 075 607 140 or 075 607 9435

Directions: San Martino is just south of Perugia. Go into the centre of San Martino and turn right if coming from the north, left if coming from the south. Turn left in about 50m. The restaurant is tucked behind the supermarket.

We don't normally recommend restaurants outside Umbria but you may want to take a day trip to Florence (known as Firenze in Italy) and therefore we recommend this one. It has a real atmosphere, excellent service and great food. The prices are reasonable too, considering the location, close to the duomo (cathedral). We paid 27 euros each for salad, pizza, coffee, and bottle of wine.